The PHS Numina Gallery celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month between October 9 and 17 with an exhibition that showcased a diverse display of Hispanic cultures. The exhibition featured many artifacts from different Spanish-speaking regions, including Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a national celebration observed from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the diverse contributions of Hispanic-American citizens to the United States.

“[The Numina Gallery exhibit] provides a vital platform for Latino students to express their voices and pride in their culture,” said Martha Hayden, a Spanish teacher at PHS.

In addition to displaying student’s culture, the event also brings together people from across the community.

“[In the other months] we usually do art showcases … this exhibition, [however], is a more [broad] and cultural exhibition, which makes it special because we are not showcasing specific artworks of art students … [instead] we are bringing in projects and cultures from Spanish students and from different clubs,” said Cindy Zhou ’25, co-president of the Numina Gallery.

The centerpiece of the exhibition, the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda, displayed traditional offerings given during a reunion with the dead, such as candles, flowers, and photos of deceased loved ones. The exhibition also presented poems related to immigration, traditional clothing from several regions, and güiro frog instruments. Camila Del Castillo, a Spanish teacher at PHS and the main organizer of the Numina exhibit, was pleased to see the reactions of parents and students on the opening night of the exhibition.

“The Hispanic kids that came and saw things from their country loved it. They saw the altar or the Día de los Muertos ofrenda, and they connected with things they have learned,” said Del Castillo. “People visiting and being happy to be there [is] when I feel the proudest.”

The preparation process lasted two weeks and involved the collaboration of many different people, including students, teachers, and even supervisors. Spanish teachers and students did most of the work, while Numina Gallery members mostly assisted in putting up pieces, podiums, and lighting.

“The Spanish classes would come and help, and during our free time we would listen to their ideas and help incorporate our knowledge about the gallery to help with the setup,” said Zhou.

The Latinos Unidos club was a significant part of the exhibition, sharing Hispanic traditions through music and visuals. Brian Donis ’25, the club’s vice president, helped plan and set up the event, along with other students.

“The students helped us carry out the projects and events, but all in all, there is no difference from being a student leader and being a student in the club [because] we all came together as one community,” said Donis.

Students and teachers each had different roles in the preparations for the exhibit. The Spanish teachers, created themes such as geographical and cultural regions for each of their respective classes to focus on. The students then researched these regions and designed posters to display on the walls of the gallery.

While preparing the exhibition, students and teachers faced many challenges, such as planning and coordination. “Finding the time is the most challenging. It’s hard because you’re still teaching, [and the Numina exhibit] is not your only job,” said Del Castillo. “Kids are in school, so I can’t pull them out of class to [help], and after school everybody has things to do.”

The preparation process is different every year, as although the Hispanic Heritage exhibition is designed to display Hispanic culture, its theme changes from year to year.

Last year’s focus was more on celebrations, while this year the exhibition focused on spotlighting specific people and countries. However, while the focus of the exhibition changes annually, the goal remains the same: to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and showcase the diverse cultures spread across Latin America.

“We even [had] the Chinese teacher bringing in her kids and the Italian teacher bringing her kids and making comparisons between things that we have, like the fans and different artifacts,” said Del Castillo. “We compare, but to highlight our similarities."